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1
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
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2
Press the egg yolks through a wire tea strainer or egg ricer into the butter-sugar mixture.
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3
Add the liqueur and mix well.
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4
Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing as you go, to form a dough.
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5
Divide the dough into three balls, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
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6
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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7
Remove the chilled balls of dough, one at a time, from the refrigerator and roll between two sheets of wax paper to a thickness of about 1/4-inch.
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8
Gently remove the top layer of wax paper.
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9
Using one large and one medium-size heart-shaped cutter, cut the cookies according to these directions: Cut pairs of large hearts from the dough, then, using the medium heart cutter, cut out a heart shape from the center of half the cookies to form heart-shaped rings; be careful to stay away from the edges so the cookies remain strong.
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10
Save the smaller hearts cut from the rings and bake with the larger hearts and heart rings.
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11
Gather up dough scraps into a ball and refrigerate.
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12
Bake the hearts and heart rings on an ungreased baking sheet for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.
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13
Cool on a rack.
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14
Repeat the entire process with each chilled ball of dough.
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15
To assemble the cookies, spread the flat side of each large heart-shaped cookie with ham and top the jam with a heart ring, flat side down.
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16
Dust the top with sifted confectioners' sugar and fill the center with additional jam.
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17
Sandwich the smaller hearts cut from the heart rings, together with jam and dust the tops with confectioners' sugar.
